Scientists Discover New Covid-Like Virus In Moustached Bats In Brazil

An international team of scientists from Japan, the US, Australia, and Belgium has detected a new Covid-19-like virus in moustached bats in Brazil, raising concerns about possible cross-species transmission.

The discovery adds to ongoing research into the origins and evolution of coronaviruses that can jump from animals to humans.

The team identified the virus, named BRZ batCoV, in the Pteronotus parnellii species, a small insect-eating bat recognised by its distinctive facial tufts. The findings, published on the pre-print platform BioRxiv, suggest that the virus is genetically distinct from known betacoronaviruses.

According to the researchers, “We identified a full-length genome of a novel bat CoV (BRZ batCoV) from a Pteronotus parnellii bat sampled in Brazil that is phylogenetically distinct from known betacoronaviruses.” The team’s analysis showed that the virus is different enough to represent a new subgenus within the Betacoronavirus family.

The virus’s spike protein possesses a functional furin cleavage site, a feature linked to infectivity and cross-species transmission in other viruses.

The team noted that its sequence (RDAR) differs from that found in SARS-CoV-2 (RRAR) by only one amino acid. This structural similarity, researchers say, warrants close monitoring, as furin cleavage sites are found in highly infectious viruses such as avian influenza, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2.

No Evidence of Human Infection

While the discovery has stirred concern, scientists stressed that no evidence currently exists to suggest that BRZ batCoV infects humans or spreads beyond bat populations.

The virus, they noted, is genetically closer to MERS-CoV, a virus responsible for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, than to Covid-19.

“MERS spreads less easily than COVID but is much deadlier, killing around one-third of infected individuals,” said one of the researchers.

The study’s authors emphasised that the finding “provides important insights into the evolutionary potential and zoonotic risk of BRZ batCoV” and underscores the role of bats as “reservoirs of genetic innovations relevant to zoonotic emergence.”

Experts say the discovery highlights the importance of continued global virus surveillance, particularly in wildlife species. Though there is no immediate threat, they warn that understanding bat-borne viruses is essential to prevent future pandemics.

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